Time and Life Itself
by hayleymills
Summary: "Every time I think about it my head hurts a bit- I'm not sure how you and I are supposed to save the Wizarding World, because in my timeline, we didn't succeed. But you were always the smart one."
1. Chapter 1

Hermione darted around a corner, crouching down low and pausing to examine her current situation. She was dueling with Avery, and had been for a painfully long time. Her lungs were on fire, and she just wanted to stop and _breathe,_ but that was out of the question. Amycus Carrow was nearby, hurling curse after curse at Seamus Finnegan, who was barely managing to cast a Shield Charm, let alone cast anything in return. Hermione wished, desperately, that she could step in to rescue Seamus, but her own situation proved near impossible. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," Avery called. "Come out and face me."

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Hermione leaned around the corner to consider her next move. She could cast a few curses at the Death Eater, but since Carrow was within range, she was more than outmatched. She couldn't escape and come at them for a different angle—

But Avery was getting closer and getting impatient and there weren't many other options. "Where is that Mudblood, Avery? Tell me why you haven't killed her yet! I'd like to see that dirty blood all over the castle floor." Carrow had joined him now.

 _Okay. Here goes._

Hermione hurdled out from behind the wall, sending a variety of nonverbal spells flying towards the two Death Eaters. Shocked, they were a little slow on the uptake, and Avery froze for a fraction of a second, hit by a weak immobilizing spell. "You've got to do better than that, Hermione!" he screamed, and she put up her own Shield Charm in response.

 _Had he just called her Hermione?_

Dean materialized next to her, sporting a swollen lip and a bloody eyebrow. "What did you do, get in a fistfight?" she called to him, hardly hearing herself speak over the roar of battle.

"Something like that," he responded, almost cheerfully, and he joined her in her attack against the two men.

She shot an Impedimenta at Carrow, and he crumpled, almost gracefully, to the ground, his robes puddling around him. It almost seemed to be in slow motion. Hermione took a deep breath as Avery moved toward her, and was filled with overwhelmingof dread. Whatever he had planned, it wasn't going to be pretty. She raised her wand, preparing for a simple Shield Charm, but whatever the curse was; it was too quick for her to guard against.

Hermione was hit square in the chest, and fell forward onto her knees by the sheer strength of it. "Hermione!" Dean yelled, and rushed to her side. She grasped at her robes with shaking hands; it was as though a fire had started in the middle of her chest and was radiating outward, unbearably hot. Black, shiny boots appeared in her field of vision and she looked up to see the man towering over her.

"See you at Hogwarts," Avery said simply, his face impossible to read, and the darkness overcame her.

* * *

The next thing she remembered was the cool surface of the castle floor. _Oh, please don't wake me. It's so nice. I can't even hear the fighting._ An arm slid around her shoulders and another around the back of her knees, holding her close, and she relished in the comfort. From the way they held her, it had to be someone she knew and trusted. _Harry? Ron?_

She opened her eyes to familiar messy black hair and round-rimmed glasses. Her vision was slightly blurred, and all of the lights were too bright. "H-Harry?" But Harry was dead. He had perished at the hands of Voldemort himself, deep in the Forbidden forest.

 _Then who was holding her?_

It was only then she realized that his eyes were chocolate brown.

"Sorry love, no Harry here. I'm James. James Potter."

 _No._ She couldn't have been sent back in time. That wasn't possible, without a Time Turner, she had learned that through experience, she hadn't read anything about any sort of spells—

Third year. Lupin. The Marauders.

 _Oh no._

Hermione whipped her head around, nearly falling out of James' grasp. There was Remus, his brown hair falling over concerned eyes, his robes distinctly _not_ shabby, the gold Prefect badge gleaming on his robes. Next to him, Sirius—dark haired, dark eyed, and brooding. His hands were in his pockets and he was looking at her the same way he always used to during Order meetings. That look she always hated—the one that said "this girl is too young and too smart to be on the front lines." And Peter was there, next to Sirius; Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him. _Was he a Death Eater yet?_ Instead of the middle aged plump man she was used to seeing, he was short and thin, his light hair messy and in need of brushing. He gave her a small reassuring smile and she looked away.

Hermione closed her eyes. This was too much. Just moments ago, she had been fighting a Death Eater in this exact spot. These boys were long dead. "I'm going to take you to the Hospital Wing now, okay?" James murmured, inches from her ear. They began walking. A few moments later, he leaned in again. "Everything is going to be fine."

 _No it isn't,_ Hermione thought, tears threatening to spill over. _Where I come from, everyone is dead._

* * *

Hermione awoke to a blinding light. She blinked furiously, trying to get her vision back, and hastily took in her surroundings. She was lying in a bed that was considerably too hard and uncomfortable, covered in white linens. Scrambling to find her wand, she let out a small scream when she noticed the figure sitting next to her bed.

Dumbledore.

Her anger toward him was sudden, white-hot, and impossible to ignore. _He_ was the reason her best friend, her _brother,_ had died, oblivious to the fact that he was a Horcrux. Dumbledore had known all along. "Give me my wand," she managed to let out, while keeping her voice relatively low and calm.

She wanted to scream. Throw curses at him.

He could have _saved_ Harry.

His face was impassive as he handed over her wand from the bedside table. "I'd appreciate it if you would stop looking at me that way. Although I have many faults, watching over our new visitor is not one of them. It might also be in your best interest to lie down before Madam Pomfrey returns. Your forehead has suffered some losses."

It was then that she noticed the dull ache above her eyebrow. She had suffered so many other injuries, that she hadn't even realized.

"I'll heal it," she snapped, pointing her wand at her head and knitting the gash back together.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Nicely done. Poppy prefers not to use the more advanced healing spells on students. They minimize scarring and are quicker, of course, but can very easily go awry."

"I'm not a student," Hermione quipped. She was aware of her blatant disrespect for the Headmaster, but at this point, she didn't care. She needed to figure out what was happening.

She jumped out of bed and slid her jeans on under the gown. "Miss, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stop."

"Or what?" she retorted, the sweatshirt following.  
"Or I'll have to use magic to hold you in place, and I would prefer not to."

Hermione hugged, and sat down."This appears to be the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.

"You are correct," Dumbledore assented. "Two nights ago, James Potter and his friends discovered you in our Charms corridor. You were semi-conscious, and as Mr. Black explained it, you were extremely confused. You seemed to mistake Mr. Potter for someone named Harry, and I will assure you that there is no Harry at this school. So, I will ask you one time and one time only. What is your name, and what are you doing at our school?"

Judging by Dumbledore's tone, Hermione decided that full honesty was the best approach to take. She didn't trust the man, but being hexed by him was not something she looked forward to. "I trust that I have your utmost confidence," she started, and with Dumbledore's curt nod, she continued. "It seems I have time traveled involuntarily from the year 1998. My name is Hermione Granger. Where I come from, there is a war going on, between Voldemort and his supporters and the rest of the Wizarding World, particularly the Order of the Phoenix. I was dueling with one of Voldemort's supporters, and I was hit with a curse. When I woke up, I was here in time."

"I suspect that you were already in Hogwarts when you were cursed?"

"Yes, I would imagine that I appeared in exactly the same place I was in my time. You mentioned the second floor Charms corridor?" Dumbledore looked down at the floor, deep in thought. Hermione didn't have _time_ for this. "If you'll excuse me, I need to leave and find a way to get back to my own time. There's a war happening, and I'm needed—"

"Miss Granger, I regret to tell you that at this point in time, there is no returning to 1998. More research needs to be conducted on the curse that brought you here to us. It can be very dangerous to go off into the depths of time without proper preparation. In the meantime, however, I believe that it is in your best interest to continue your education while you are here. I presume you were a Hogwarts student in your time?"

Hermione sat back down on the bed, a sense of hopelessness overcoming her. Her friends were fighting or _dead,_ and here she was, decades back in time with no way to get home. She swallowed. "I'm eighteen. But I did not attend school for my seventh year, and the education in my sixth year was fairly interrupted."

"That's that, then. You will start tomorrow with our sixth year class. I'm sure you know your way around the castle, but might I suggest minimizing your knowledge to maintain appearances? We will say that you are a transfer from Beauxbatons, and when your parents passed away you were sent to live with an aunt nearest Hogwarts." He regarded her for a moment, before adding, "You seem like a Gryffindor, Miss Granger."

"That's correct."

Dumbledore rose, conjuring a few sets of uniforms and placing them over the back of his now vacant chair. "Miss Granger, I wish you the best of luck. Leaving your friends behind can never be easy or simple. I hope that you find a home here at Hogwarts in this time, as so many have." It was on that note that he exited, leaving Hermione alone in the Hospital Wing with nothing but the ghosts of her past—the future—to keep her company.

It was then that she noticed the bulge in her back pocket.

Curiously, she stood up, and reaching her hand in her back pocket, she pulled out a folded piece of parchment. _How strange,_ she thought. _That wasn't there when I lost consciousness._ She carefully unfolded the parchment, revealing tiny, messy scrawl.

 _Hermione,_

 _First and foremost, I wanted to apologize for sending you back. You always told me the frustration and confusion of those first few days, and I despise myself for being the one that is meant to cause you that pain. Having to maintain appearances as a Death Eater means causing pain to countless others, but I swore to myself that I would never do that to you. So, I'm sorry. I also know that you have no reason to trust me. So here goes: Your name is Hermione Jean Granger, and you were born in September of 1980. Your parents are dentists (whatever that means, I would never know) and when the war began you Obliviated them and moved them to Australia. Your favorite color is orange, and your favorite book: Hogwarts, a History. Your Amortentia smells like freshly cut grass, new parchment, and spearmint toothpaste- and I just so happen to use spearmint toothpaste._

 _Hermione, we met during my sixth year at Hogwarts, when you appeared one day and started school. We met in secret- after all, you were a Gryffindor and I a Slytherin. You showed me my mother's ring on your finger and I knew I had to trust you. You told me all about the future and the downfall and ultimate rise of the Dark Lord, and how I was the one that sent you back, and how your mission (the mission I gave you) was to save everyone, including myself. The only reason I know to give you this letter is because I've already done it. I don't understand time, really. Every time I think about it my head hurts a bit- I'm not sure how you and I are supposed to save the Wizarding World, because in my timeline, we didn't succeed. But you were always the smart one._

 _Please come and find me, Hermione. I haven't done good things since I've been at Hogwarts. I've hurt an innocent girl, one that will turn out to be your friend. I regret it, and I always have. But I know you can help me change—you've done it already._

 _With my whole heart,_

 _Alexandre Avery_

 **A/n: Some of you (especially those of you who get author notifications from me) may be feeling a sense of déjà vu here- this is an old story that I deleted and am re-posting with edits. I hadn't planned on changing the storyline drastically, but since reading "The Light" by Everliah I was inspired. So this is a huge, drastic change from the original story.**

 **If you liked it, review please!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**October 10, 1976**_

 _ **Hogwarts Castle, The Great Hall**_

"Padfoot," James said softly, tapping his friend hard on the shoulder.

Sirius winced. "Merlin, Prongs. Let up a bit, will you?" Sirius followed James' gaze to the entrance of the Great Hall, where several people were arriving to breakfast late. He rolled his eyes and returned to his breakfast, taking a bite of a sausage link. "I've already seen Evans this morning, remember? You nearly assaulted her in the Common Room." He wasn't sure why he was so irritated with his best friend these past few days. It couldn't be James' obsession with Lily Evans- he had been dealing with that since second year.

Maybe it was the confidence with which he had taken care of that small, broken girl three nights ago. Sirius had been slightly jealous of the way James had carried her in his arms and the way she had clung to him as though her life depended on it.

He, Remus, and Peter had stood there like idiots while James played the hero.

"Sirius. Look."

He shifted his eyes to the entrance hall again, more intently this time. There was Snivellus, giving a first year a hard time. Peter, staring wistfully at Mary McDonald. And then, there she was.

The girl from the corridor.

She looked different, Sirius noticed. Good different. She looked like more of a real person in Hogwarts robes, clutching her books to her chest in that Prefect-like way that Moony always did. Her brown hair, instead of being all over the place in wispy flyaways, was neatly pinned back into a ponytail. She looked brighter, more alive—but even from a distance Sirius could tell that she had seen some things that no one should have to.

"I'm going to go introduce myself," he said, standing abruptly and nearly knocking over his breakfast.

"Don't embarrass yourself, mate," James piped up.

"Take her a cup of tea," Remus suggested.

Sirius strode over to the girl, who was making a home for herself and her textbooks at the end of the Gryffindor table. "Hello love," he said brightly, sitting down across from the girl. She looked up, startled, and stared at him, her eyes wide. "I see you're finding your way around the castle alright." She nodded, and he outstretched a hand. "Sirius Orion Black, the third, at your service."

A ghost of a smile passed her lips as she took his hand. "Hermione Granger, the first."

"Where did you come from, Miss Hermione Granger, the first?" he asked, and poured her a cup of tea, at Remus' suggestion, from the pot on the table. "What do you take?"

"Milk and honey, please."

He obliged and passed the mug to her, which she sipped appreciatively. _You came from somewhere that isn't normal, because you appeared in the corridor, beaten and bloody with no knowledge of what happened._ "I'm a transfer from Beauxbatons," she answered, a little too quickly.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "We'll tell people that for you, of course, but you should know that my friends and I are the ones that found you. Beauxbatons may be an odd school, but I'm sure that they don't drop their transfers in looking the way you did."

"I appreciate you keeping my secret," she said simply. Sirius shook his head and eyed James, who was winking at him and giving obnoxious thumbs-up's from the other end of the table. He ignored his best friend. "So, why lovely old Hogwarts? Did you hear about the strapping young lads that walked the halls?" He flipped his hair over his shoulder and grinned at her.

"That's another story for another day," she retorted. "Are you a sixth year as well?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"So, you have Potions next as well?"

Sirius nodded. "Double with the Slytherin's. Its as if Minnie is trying to kill us on the first day." At Hermione's raised eyebrows, he continued. "Our Head of House, Professor McGonnagal. She and I have an affair going on outside of classes."

"Somehow, I believe that."

He smirked. This girl had a sense of humor. "Would you like to come meet my friends? I think there's an extra seat over there. If not, I can always kick James to the floor." Hermione glanced in the direction of James and Remus, and he stilled. _How did she know who they were?_

"No thanks. I need to talk to Professor Dumbledore before class." She finished the tea that he made her, and stood up, packing her books in her bag. She hadn't eaten anything, Sirius noticed. "Good to meet you, Sirius."

"You too," he replied, but she was already walking away, leaving the Great Hall without approaching the Head table.

He returned to his friends, who looked at him expectantly. "I'm in love."

* * *

Hermione reached the dungeons after stopping to 'ask directions' twice on the way. She had ignored all the quirks about Hogwarts she had learned in her seven years there—the disappearing stair outside of the Great Hall, Peeves, the ghosts who passed through the walls. She tried to see the castle through the eyes of an outsider. She stared at the enchanted ceiling in mock awe, and acted amazed at the food appearing on the table in front of her.

And the whole Marauders business.

When she had been made crazy by war, it was one thing. But Sirius Black blatantly flirting with her at breakfast that morning? Hermione wasn't sure how much of that she could handle.

It didn't help that Avery's letter was burning a hole in her pocket, and the thin green and silver ring on her finger feeling like a neon sign.

Hermione never thought she would be seeking out a Death Eater to tell her story to. She couldn't believe she was trusting this letter in the first place—but he had known her Amortentia scent. Nobody knew that—aside from the few Gryffindor students that had been in Slughorn's classroom that day during her original sixth year. And he hadn't killed her.

Wouldn't he have killed her, if it wasn't true?

Double Potions with Slytherin was the perfect opportunity to figure out who Avery was, so she could approach him later.

The dungeon was nearly full, aside from a few open seats in the back. There was a group of Slytherin boys directly in front of Slughorn's desk, clearly eager to get his attention. _Was one of them Avery?_ Hermione started toward her normal seat in the middle of the room, but quickly noticed there was already someone sitting there. Red hair gleamed brightly, and Hermione was stopped in her tracks.

 _Anyone but her…_

Stomach churning, Hermione kept her head down and took the seat behind Harry's mother.

"Hi," she said, and Hermione looked up with wide eyes, only to see Harry's eyes staring back at her. "I'm Lily Evans." Lily had a soft voice, a pretty face, and a kind smile.

"I'm Hermione," she replied, forcing herself to smile. Her heart was racing, and she willed herself not to cry. Harry was dead. _Carried out in Hagrid's arms—_

"You're from Beauxbatons, right? I think you'll be in our dormitory. A new bed just appeared in there this morning." Lily said, picking up her supplies and moving to the seat next to Hermione. "You're the talk of the school today. We don't get new students very often."

Catching her breath, Hermione shrugged and feigned sheepishness. "Well, I appreciate you introducing yourself. Mostly everyone has just stared at me like I have two heads. I've been here nearly three hours, and you're only the second person to talk to me, besides teachers.

"Who was the first?"

Hermione forced herself not to say his name right away. "Some boy with dark hair in his eyes. He tried flirting with me—"

"That'll be Sirius Black," Lily answered. Hermione noticed that Lily said his name with a tinge of disgust. She knew this—Lily hated the Marauders, more than anything, until she and James got together. _You can't be thinking these sorts of things, Hermione,_ she reprimanded herself. The fact that she even walked into Hogwarts this morning could mess up all sorts of things, and not for the better.

"Oh, right. That's him. He's very… eccentric, isn't he?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I don't suppose you've met his friends?" Hermione shook her head. "They're all wildly immature. Playing pranks all the time. James Potter—he's the one with the glasses—he's been asking me out twice a day for the past three years. He hasn't seemed to have gotten the hint." Lily turned towards the doorway of the dungeon. "Speak of the devils."

Four boys soon surrounded the tabletop, and Hermione smiled politely. _Don't let on that you know them…_

"My precious Lily-flower," James said, looking at Lily over the rims of his glasses. He took her hand and kissed it, and she snatched it away. James turned to Hermione, and said, "Hermione, was it? You're looking much better than the last time I saw you. James Potter. Nice to meet you." The brunette couldn't help but notice how drastically different Harry and James were. While Harry would have introduced himself sheepishly, asking loads of questions, James hardly let her get a word in.

"You as well."

Sirius just winked at her.

Remus outstretched his hand, quickly and politely. "My name is Remus. I apologize for my friends' behavior ahead of time. They're gits, more often than not."

It was then that Slughorn entered the classroom, his belly preceding him. "Class, hello! The first class is my favorite of the year- it really sets a precedent, don't you think? I'd like to start off the year by pairing you off into groups—with a bit of inter-house unity." The Gryffindors in the room let out a collective groan, while the Slytherins looked back at the former in disgust. "Ho, ho!" Slughorn exclaimed. "I'll pair you off myself. I'd like you to brew a spot of Amortentia. We're not going to use it, no—but it's just something fun for the first day."

Hermione half expected him to hand out a vial of Felix Felicis for the best potion.

James was paired with Mulciber, Sirius with Malfoy, Lily with Snape, and Hermione with—"Mr. Avery. Why don't you show our new student how we do things at Hogwarts?" Hermione's heart dropped into her stomach. _Already?_ The dark haired boy from the front row turned around, stony faced, and made eye contact with her. She smiled feebly.

"Hi, I'm Hermione," she said, voice shaking, when he approached the table. _He's friends with Death Eaters. He's hurt Mary McDonald. He IS a Death Eater._

"Alexandre," he replied curtly. _Alexandre Avery. What a normal name._

"Have you ever brewed Amortentia before?" she blurted as he produced a book from his bag. _Hermione. Stupid._

He just stared at her. "I can't say I've ever slipped anyone a love potion, no. Have you?"

She felt her cheeks burn bright red. "No, I haven't. But I've brewed it before."

"Hmm."

They added the first few ingredients in silence, and Hermione took on the task of stirring the potion clockwise 73 times. "I haven't seen you around before," Avery regarded her, his chin in his hand. "Professor Slughorn mentioned that you're new, yeah?"

"Today is my first day," Hermione replied. She had memorized this response and practiced it in front of the mirror. "I attended Beauxbatons before this."

"Why Hogwarts? I'm sure the French have a much better education than Britain. I mean, this place is a joke. I'm only going because my father wants me to. I knew half of the OWL spells my first year."

"It's a long story."

"Well, looks like we have time," Avery retorted, eyeing the cauldron. _21, 22, 23…_

"My parents died. I was sent to live with my aunt, and she lives closer to Hogwarts. She also preferred Hogwarts. She was a graduate, herself."

"Are your parents Muggles?"

She looked up from the cauldron and narrowed her eyes at him. How _dare_ he ask her that, right in the middle of class? "Does it matter?" she snapped.

He shrugged. "Some would say so. But I guess not." He leaned in and whispered, "don't let my mates hear me say that."

The Amortentia was now turning a distinct golden color, and Hermione was just finishing up her stirring when Avery snatched her hand from the ladle. "What is this?" he hissed, gesturing to the ring. "This is my mother's ring. _Why do you have this?"_ He had his wand out now, pointing directly at her chest.

"I—" Hermione couldn't speak. She hadn't thought about the fact that he might notice the ring— _stupid—_ and she most definitely had not thought about a response if he had noticed.

" _Mr. Avery!"_ Slughorn shouted from across the room. "Put your wand down right now!"

Avery did not comply. "You're creating a scene," Hermione hissed. "If you hex me now, you'll never know." He faltered, but his wand did not move from her chest. "I will tell you, but you need to meet me on the seventh floor tonight at midnight. Opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. It's not something I can tell you in the middle of Potions. The only thing you need to know right now is that I didn't steal it, and if you owl your mother she'll inform you that the ring is still on her finger."

Hermione seriously hoped that Avery's mother was wearing her ring today.

"Now put your wand _down,_ Alexandre."

Avery complied, scowling, and stormed out of the room, the cauldron tipping behind him. Hermione jumped onto her stool, Amortentia soaking her shoes.

 _Well, that went well._

 **A/n: Eeeeek! What do you think will happen?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: Three chapters in four days? It's a personal record!**

 **October 10, 1976**

 **The Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle**

Hermione joined Lily and Snape's partnership after Avery's dramatic exit. Snape was hunched over the workbench, carefully chopping rose thorns for the potion, while Lily was leaning on the desk, watching him. "What _happened?"_ she hissed, when Hermione set down her bag. "What did you _do?"_

With a shrug, Hermione replied, "I have no idea. He just pulled his wand out and pointed it at me."

Lily scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Slytherins are impossible." Snape looked up at her with a scowl, dark hair falling in front of his pale face. His nose protruded just as it did twenty years later, and he still had the same sallow face. Lily leaned in closer to Hermione. "He hasn't let me do anything this whole time," she whispered.

The brunette held back a laugh and looked around the room.

The Slytherins paired with Gryffindors did not seem to be a good combination. James and Mulciber's potion was a deep purple sludge, and Sirius and Malfoy's potion was emitting green sparks. Snape and Lily's seemed to be the only one that was even close to the correct consistency and color. Hermione glanced at Snape's open book, and tiny, nearly illegible scrawls filled the margins.

She watched Snape while he worked, remembering all of the times that she had attended a Potions class with him as her professor. He really was very talented, and she realized how much she underestimated his skills because of her dislike for him. For Merlin's sake, he had just brewed a perfect love potion on his own in a matter of forty-five minutes, at the age of sixteen.

Hermione wondered if he was showing off for Lily.

The last time she had seen Severus Snape was less than 72 hours ago, when he was bleeding out from a serpent bite, on the floor of Hogwarts' boathouse. He had given Harry his memories, then, and Hermione wondered what exactly he had given him.

She would give anything to find that out now.

"It's done," Snape said, standing up and wiping his hands on his robes. He avoided looking at the girls, and Lily sighed. She conjured a vial and took a sample of the potion up to Slughorn's desk.

James approached the two girls when class was dismissed, much to Sirius' amusement. He didn't have the heart to tell his friend that his face was covered in pearl dust, right as he was asking the 'girl of his dreams' on a date for the thousandth time. Sirius had persuaded him to ask Hermione as well, simply because he was intrigued by her. She was very clearly lying about her arrival to Hogwarts, but she didn't seem at all intimidated or frightened by his knowledge. She seemed to have confidence in his trustworthiness, something most people did not have.

It was more than a little eerie.

"She handled a Slytherin with no problem," Remus mentioned, and it was almost as if his friend was replying to his thoughts. "Avery had his wand pointed at her and she didn't even flinch. She didn't pull her wand, either. She _talked him down._ How many girls do we know that can do that?"

Sirius nodded. "I know. She's very strange."

"A mystery," Remus assented. "But I would definitely like to find out more."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Peter piped up, and Sirius turned to him, incredulous.

"You've been reading too many Muggle magazines, Pete."

James returned, with Hermione in tow. He dropped to one knee and bowed at her feet, arms outstretched. "Men! Here we have our very own Miss Hermione Granger, capable of defeating our enemies with a single word!" He continued to bow repeatedly, his nose nearly touching the floor. Hermione giggled, rolling her eyes, while Sirius dropped to his knees as well and followed suit.

"It wasn't a big deal, truly," Hermione insisted, gesturing for the boys to get off of the floor. "I told him to put his wand away and he did."

Sirius goggled at her from the floor. "Prongs, can you believe that? She just _told_ him to stop! No hexes, no injuries, no insulting language—she just _told_ him!" James' jaw dropped open.

"Alright, alright, leave the lady alone," Remus laughed, taking Hermione's arm. "She's a better man than the four of us put together, yeah? Now let's show her the bloody lake like we promised."

The five of them: the Marauders and Hermione, nearly skipped out of the dungeons and into the clear, cool September air. It had been a mild summer, never getting swelteringly hot, and the fall was bound to be the same. In previous years, Sirius would have pushed his friends into the lake, and following their protest, exclaim that the Giant Squid needed friends too. This year, he thought he'd be kind and save them from freezing their arses off.

"They say there's a Squid in the lake," Peter started, running a bit to catch up with the rest of the group.

"Pete, there _is_ a squid in the lake. We've seen it. It's fondled you before. It thinks you're its boyfriend." James laughed. "Should Sirius throw you in again this year—"

Peter, James, and Sirius stopped walking, realizing that Remus and Hermione weren't walking next to them anymore. Sirius turned around, only to see Hermione on her knees on the ground, doubled over and clutching her chest. _Holy shit._ Remus was crouching next to her, one hand on the small of her back and the other holding one of her hands in his own. Sirius turned back and sprinted over to the two. "What happened, Moony?"

"I don't think she can breathe," James said, appearing next to Sirius, the tension evident in his voice. "Should we take her to the Hospital Wing?"

"Hermione," Remus said quietly but firmly, taking the girl's chin between his two fingers and turning her head toward him. "Do you want us to take you to the Hospital Wing?"

She shook her head no.

"I think she's having a panic attack," Peter suggested.

"Let's get you out of here," Remus murmured, helping the girl stand to her feet. A crowd had developed around them now—people standing and staring, some whispering behind their hands to their friends. "Sirius, can you-?" he gestured to the groups of people surrounding them. Peter jumped to Remus' assistance, taking Hermione's other side and leading her back toward the castle.

"Oi! Nothing to see here," Sirius yelled irritably, shooing away the groups of students (most of them being first and second years). They glared at him angrily, but walked away nonetheless.

Great… exactly what Hermione needed on her first day. Rumors.

He found the rest of his friends sitting just inside the castle entrance. Remus and Peter were sitting on either side of Hermione, clutching either one of her hands. James was standing awkwardly, concern crossing his face as he looked down at the girl. "I—I'm sorry—" she started, the tears freely rolling down her face.

"No," Remus said firmly, wiping a tear from her face. "You don't need to be sorry."

"I just met you, and I cry about being outside," she murmured, resting her head on her knees.

Sirius crouched down in front of her, resting a hand on her back. "We're all broken sometimes," he whispered, and he really hoped she took in what he had to say. "I can't tell you how many times I've lost my cool just walking through the corridors. But I have these three prats to calm me down whenever I get upset." He looked at Remus, always the calm in the middle of his storm; James, the one who made him laugh whenever he felt like doing anything but; and Peter, always knowing the right thing to say, whether it be a quote from a Muggle book or anything else. "We'll be here for you too, Hermione."

"What's going on in your head?" Remus asked quietly.

"That's another story for another day."

 **October 10, 1976**

 **The Room of Requirement, Hogwarts Castle**

Hermione stood anxiously opposite the tapestry with the Dissolution Charm flowing over her. It was the strangest sensation to be actually using a Dissolution Charm instead of being under an Invisibility Cloak, and it was even stranger that the Invisibility Cloak in question was in the same place as she, but with a different owner.

It was even stranger that she was meeting a Death Eater alone, in the middle of the night.

Hermione already had the ring off when Avery arrived. She assumed it would be a truce of sorts; letting him know that she was someone to be trusted. She lifted the Dissolution Charm when she saw him walking down the corridor and began pacing in front of the blank space of wall.

 _I need somewhere where Avery and I can meet in private._

"What are you doing, Granger?" he hissed as she paced for the second time, but when the door appeared, she heard him gasp. "What the hell—"

"In," she gestured, opening the door to allow him through. "Quickly." Avery entered with a scowl, clearly not used to women (let alone Muggleborn women) telling him what to do.

The room had conjured a sitting area, clearly suited to both of their tastes. The ceilings were high and the walls draped with gold and silver tapestries, a fire roared in the corner, and there were several deep blue couches in the center of the room. _Blue. How neutral,_ Hermione thought. The far wall was lined with tall bookcases, and the shelves filled with books of different shapes and sizes.

"What is this place?" Avery marveled, staring around at the room. "I've never seen it before."

"The Room of Requirement. Better known as the Come-and-Go room. It only appears when the user walks three times in front of the wall outside of Barnabas the Barmy, and the inside of the room is always different, depending on the user's needs. I told the room I wanted somewhere to meet with you in private, and this is what it gave me."

Avery stared at her. "I thought you were a new student."

"I'm getting to that."

She took a seat on one of the blue couches, and Avery sat opposite her. "First and foremost, I wanted to give you this ring back. It served its purpose—to get your attention. I have no reason to have it now." She dropped the ring into Avery's cupped hand and he pocketed it quickly.

"Why did you have it in the first place?"

Hermione swallowed. Explaining this to him was going to be tricky. He had given her his mother's ring in the future so he could trust her in the past, but also because he knew it had been done already. Future Avery had known Hermione when he was in school, but apparently they failed to change the timeline, so he was sending her back again. She had never really thought about time in this way before. When did Hermione originally get sent back, if Avery knew her as a boy in school the first time around? When did it begin? Where was the cause and effect?

She supposed she would start at the beginning.

"Wait," Avery blurted, before she could start talking. "I brought this." He pulled out a small vial, filled with dark green liquid and capped with a cork. "So I know I can trust you."

" _Veritaserum?"_ Hermione exclaimed.

"It's the only way to know you're telling the truth."

"It's illegal—"

"It seems like you need me more than I need you, Granger. You're testing my patience."

With a sigh, Hermione took the potion and downed it in one gulp. "You're right. I do. Are you ready to listen to me now?" Avery nodded, satisfied. "I'm going to start from the beginning. It's going to be long and confusing, but stick with me until the end, please. It should all make some sort of sense.

"My name is Hermione Granger, and I was born to two Muggles in September of 1980. When I was eleven years old, I was delivered my Hogwarts letter and I began school. I had two best friends, by the names of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Harry was the son of James Potter and Lily Evans, and defied Voldemort by surviving the Killing Curse when he was just a year old. James and Lily didn't survive the curse. We went to school just as normal kids do.

"During our fifth year, things changed. Voldemort rose to power once more, and people were dying left and right. Muggles, Wizards—everyone. Albus Dumbledore discovered that Voldemort was using Horcruxes to keep himself alive—"

"What's a Horcrux?"

"It's a piece of someone's soul that they have enchanted to put inside of another object. Dumbledore found out that Voldemort had made seven of them, and he passed the mission along to Harry. Harry, Ron, and I did not return to Hogwarts for our seventh year and set out on a search for all seven Horcruxes. We destroyed the majority of them, and when Voldemort found out, he and his followers raided Hogwarts. There were many people killed, both on our side and his. We found out halfway through the battle that Harry was the eighth Horcrux that Voldemort never planned on making, and he sacrificed himself so that we could kill Voldemort.

"Anyway, we had suffered losses and everything was very confusing. I didn't know who was alive and who wasn't, so I was trying to fight my way through the castle to kill Voldemort. Even though Harry was dead, the mission wasn't, and I intended on fulfilling it. During this battle, I was dueling well—future you. I didn't know you and I assumed you wanted to kill me, because we were on opposite sides. You hit me with a spell that I still don't know the name of, and it sent me back here to 1976.

"When I woke up, I found a letter in my pocket and your mother's ring on my finger." Hermione passed the letter over to Avery, whose hands were visibly shaking as he took the parchment. She felt the effects of the Veritaserum start to wear off, but she knew she would continue to be truthful despite this fact. "That's all that I can tell you. I don't know where to go from here, or how we're going to save the world, as you put it in the letter."

Avery shook his head rapidly, smacking a palm against his forehead. "I don't understand. You're from the future, and—and you know me, and _I_ sent you back?"

"Yes." _Please, Avery, try to keep up._

"Have I ever killed anyone?"

Hermione thought back to everything she knew about the Death Eaters, but she couldn't place a finger on whether or not someone was murdered by Avery himself. "I don't know."

"Well, I don't want to," he insisted, handing the letter back to Hermione. "How do we save the world? How do I save _myself?_ "

She smirked. Of course, the Slytherin would be concerned about how he could save himself. "How do we save _everyone?"_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n: It's currently four in the morning and I've gotten up for the day. Apparently I do my best writing before the world wakes up.**

 **Has anyone else been having problems with formatting? I always "bold" my author's note and the date/setting, but on desktop view they aren't showing up that way** **I find it to be much more pleasing to the eye (and easier to understand- especially in time travel fics!) while reading to have the header in bold; that way, you (my lovely readers** **) know that there has been a change in time and place.**

 **Bear with me. I have a message into support, hopefully I'm just doing something wrong and it will be fixed very soon!**

 _ **October 26, 1976**_

 _ **The Library, Hogwarts Castle**_

Hermione spent a great deal of time in the library following her meeting with Avery. She was determined to figure out the limitations of her influence; if she stepped on a butterfly, would it kill all of her loved ones in the future? Were her interactions detrimental to the timeline? Could she _actually_ save anyone?

Since she was thirteen years old, she had always operated under the assumption that " _Dangerous things happen to wizards who meddle with time_."

So far, she had discovered nothing that was actually _useful._ There was a volume about the tragic time-related death of Eloise Mintumble, the witch who traveled back to the year 1402 and aged five centuries upon her return to the present. Since Hermione was only twenty or so years back in the past, she doubted her return to the present would be catastrophic—if it happened at all.

Hermione had begun to make a list of the people she wanted to save. It began with Remus, saved from his eventual death in the Battle of Hogwarts, but that would be simple—all she would have to do is make sure that the Final Battle never happened. Sirius Black was next, and he was about as simple to save as Remus Lupin. James and Lily were after Sirius, and with just five years before their demise, she wasn't quite as certain when it came to saving them. Avery, of course, would rescue himself if he were going to help her.

The list found a place in Hermione's beaded bag (which thankfully, she was carrying when sent back) right next to Avery's letter. The small piece of parchment had been tightly rolled when she began, but after smoothing it over every time she had looked at it—it was now completely flat and already slightly worn. It was her reminder, her mission, her goal. She was going to save the world, and the people she loved.

"You missed dinner," someone said, and Hermione looked up, startled, to see Remus and James standing over her table with a plate full of food. Panicked, she waved her wand under the table and changed the titles of the books to make it appear that she was studying for Transfiguration. Remus placed the plate in front of her and they both took seats around the table. "Sirius was personally offended. He had plans to practice his new prank idea and wanted you to see it."

Hermione smiled weakly. "You all know I don't approve of your pranks, even if the magic is extraordinary."

"Don't let Sirius hear you say that," James joked. "He'll never let the rest of us hear the end of it. 'Hermione said I was extraordinary.'"

"Speaking of Sirius, where are he and Peter?"

"Sirius is doing detention with McGonagall. Apparently she doesn't approve of his serenading in the middle of Transfiguration." James grinned.

"Peter is finishing up an essay in the Common Room. Mary McDonald offered to help him and we all know he couldn't pass up that opportunity."

The boys had brought her a slice of steak and kidney pie, along with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. It was only when Hermione was looking down at the food that she realized how hungry she was. She casted a quick protective enchantment around her table, so there would be no nagging from Madam Pince, and dug in. "Thank you," she said, between large mouthfuls. James was leaning back in his chair, arms folded across his chest, watching her with an amused smile on his face.

"What spell did you cast, just now?" Remus asked a moment later, standing up and examining the translucent barrier. He touched it, hesitantly, and snatched his hand back when it quivered, reminiscent of gelatin. "This isn't like anything I've ever seen before."

 _Shit._

"What does it do?" James added, standing up and poking the barrier.

Hermione lowered the barrier with a wave of her wand and shrugged, trying to look innocent. She had been so used to casting the spell, she hadn't realized it was actually _very advanced magic,_ and not something that should be used in the company of other people. Especially when she was supposed to be a sixth year at Hogwarts. "It's just an enchantment," Hermione replied. "I picked it up at Beauxbatons. The girls used to cast it when they brought boys back to their dormitory—nobody can see or hear you if you're on the other side. I cast it so Madam Pince wouldn't say anything about the food in the library."

Remus stared at her. "You're lying. That's not a spell from Beauxbatons. That's really advanced magic. To be honest, I don't think you're from Beauxbatons at all. You appeared in the middle of a corridor unconscious, for Merlin's sake."

" _Moony,"_ James chastised, and Hermione guessed that it must be near the full moon, based on Remus' aggressive manner.

"It's true," Remus said, matter-of-factly.

She sighed. She should have known that his werewolf senses would have picked up on her heart rate; the smell of her adrenaline; her shaking hands under the table. "You're right, I am. But trust me, the truth is too terrible to bear. You wouldn't want to hear the whole story." _The time I came back from—you're dead. Both of your wives are dead. All of your friends are dead. All of my friends are dead. The whole of the Wizarding world is dead._

"I think we do want to hear the whole story," James countered. He was staring at her in the way that Harry always did. The latter always said he was waiting for her to _say something smart._

Remus added, "terrible is something that we're accustomed to."

She needed to tell him. Knowing Remus, he wasn't going to leave her alone until she did. But she couldn't tell him _everything._ How could she save him if he _knew_ what she was doing? "I—I was in a war," she began, eyes fixed on the table. "Many people died, more than I can count—including some of my closest friends. I lost my parents. I've been tortured. I've looked death in the face and escaped, but sometimes just barely."

"A war, there's no war—"

 _Not yet,_ Hermione wanted to say. _Not if I can help it._ "I can't tell you anymore," she interrupted, voice cracking. She felt the tears threatening to overflow and quickly blinked them back. "Please don't ask me any more."

Remus moved his chair closer to hers and took one of her hands in his own. She relished in the comfort and the affection, but couldn't help but notice the difference in how Remus held her hand, compared to Harry or Ron. Nobody would ever compare to Harry or Ron, in the whole of her lifetime, and their absence left a large, empty hole in her heart.

"I'm sorry," Remus said softly, and she doubted even James could hear him. "You've told us more than enough."

"Anyway, girls from Beauxbatons are mostly veela. And it'd be a little terrifying if you were a veela," James said, standing up and taking a bite of Hermione's steak-and-kidney pie. "You'll have to teach us that spell, too. It could come in handy one day."

 _You have no idea._

* * *

Remus and Hermione sat, holding hands, knees almost touching, but not speaking. The werewolf couldn't bring himself to speak, after what he had just heard. His mind was reeling, all of his gears turning—but he couldn't makes sense of what she had just said. A _war? What war?_ Surely the Ministry of Magic would have put it in the papers—or informed them at all—if there were any sort of current or upcoming threat.

 _Where was this war?_

But every one of his senses told him she was telling the truth, and Moony was normally accurate. Her heart rate was normal, she wasn't touching her face excessively, she didn't have that stench of—he couldn't describe it any other way— _dishonesty…_ and she seemed to be genuinely upset and broken by this fact. She had actually _lost_ people, and this was evident.

Panic attacks. Defense mechanisms. Crying.

"Say something," Hermione blurted, startling Remus out of his thoughts.

"I know you're telling the truth this time," he replied. "I can't tell you how I know but I know."

Hermione stared at him and it felt like she was staring into his soul. "We both have secrets then, don't we?"

 _I'll show you mine if you'll show me yours,_ Remus almost said, just because he was dying of curiosity. But it was close to _that time_ of the month, and Moony was getting closer and closer to the surface, and it was very difficult to contain himself and control his tongue. So he settled with "I guess we do," but he held the other words under his tongue like a too-sweet lozenge.

 _I'm a werewolf. I'm a werewolf. I'm a werewolf._

* * *

 ** _Hogwarts Castle, Gryffindor Common Room_**

Hermione usually spent her nights in the Room of Requirement.

It was quiet, it was peaceful, and allowed for her to process her thoughts without fielding questions and participating in heated discussions about who was kissing who and who had a date with Sirius Black and whether or not that date was even real. She preferred to curl up on the deep blue sofas that the room had conjured for her and Avery, usually with a book plucked from the high shelves across the room.

Avery hadn't been back in over a week.

Hermione hadn't exactly expected him to be her closest friend after her night of confessions, but they hadn't come to any sort of conclusions during their last meeting. She had pulled some old D.A. Galleons out of her beaded bag (thank Merlin she had hoarded them) and given one to Avery just in case they needed to meet. The coin had stayed cool and silent in her pocket, and she had no intentions of calling Avery to the room just to say hello. She had no intentions of becoming closer to the Slytherin than was needed—he knew the scent of her Amortentia, but that was a different timeline.

Nothing of the sort was going to occur in this timeline.

The thought of loneliness was not as appealing the night following Hermione's encounter in the library with Remus and James. She envisioned herself sobbing the night away, pining away for her friends who were yet to be born.

She needed company.

"Hermione!" Lily exclaimed when the brunette witch entered the dormitory. "Where have you _been!?_ "

Hermione smiled weakly and sat down on her bed at the far end of the room. "I'm sure you've come up with a list of theories?"

"Marlene thinks you've been in bed with a Slytherin," Lily grinned. "But I told her that was insane. My guess is that you've been spending nights in the library, avoiding Madam Pince."

"Although if you were in bed with Alexandre Avery, I can't say that I'd blame you," Alice Longbottom giggled as she entered the room, waggling her eyebrows at the girls.

Hermione scowled. "The library is right, Lily. I've never been in the Slytherin dormitories and I have no intentions to."

"Never has only been two weeks, love," Alice sang.

 _Right._

"I'm going to head to bed," Lily said, grabbing her pajamas from her trunk and heading into the bathroom. "I have an early morning tomorrow—that bloody History of Magic essay was too much to do tonight."

 _There goes my company,_ Hermione thought, and waited until Lily was out of the bathroom to bid her good night before heading down to the Common Room.

She found the Marauders sitting at a table near the fire, playing a quickly escalating game of Exploding Snap. Sirius was standing and leaning over the table, with one knee remaining on his chair. "That was cheating, Wormtail!" he was shouting, eliciting nervous glances from first year students who were sitting nearby. "You can't possibly be making that move!" Hermione chuckled at the innocence of their actions. To be screaming at each other over a game of Exploding Snap… this was a simpler time.

"Sounds like someone is a bit competitive," she joked, approaching the table.

"Hermione!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping off of his chair and enveloping her in a bear hug. "Ever my favorite non-Marauder." He pulled up a chair for her next to his own. "Fancy a game of Exploding Snap?"

The five of them played Exploding Snap for what felt like hours, until the Common Room was empty and the fire was dying. "I'd better get to bed," Remus said, the first to get up from the table.

"Moony gets cranky if he doesn't get enough sleep," James supplied, and Remus scowled at him as he went upstairs to the dorms. "But I'm headed up as well. I need to be well-rested and fresh to make Lily breakfast in the morning!"

Sirius called up at him as he went up the stairs, Peter following him. "The elves make her breakfast, you prat! Don't take that credit away from them!"

That left Hermione and Sirius alone in the Common Room. She had to admit, she was no longer lonely and upset as she was before joining the boys in their game. But now, she was slightly unsettled by his presence. She had met Sirius when she was just thirteen years old, and he had the air of a criminal, even if he was an innocent man. She couldn't help but visualize the gray hairs tinged in with the black, and she could _see_ Harry screaming in agony as his godfather fell through the veil.

She wished she could tell him. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"What happened just then?" he asked suddenly, and she was struck by the sight of the too-young man standing in front of her.

"Nothing. Just thinking, is all." _You're too young. I'm not where I'm supposed to be. I'm not even born yet._

Sirius led the two of them to the loveseat in front of the dying fire. He prodded the fire with his wand, and it began roaring again. "Sounds like you're doing too much of that," he said solemnly.

"Remus and James told you, didn't they?"

"Of course they did, kitten. You'd have to be shocked if they didn't. Then you know the world is really ending."

Hermione didn't say anything. She was tired, _so_ tired. She felt like she was melting into the cushions, but she didn't dare sleep. After a day like today, the memories would overtake her in her dreams.

"Go to sleep," Sirius murmured, as if he was in her head. "The nightmares will come. But I'll be here."

 **A/n: Wow, this chapter is really angsty. I didn't intend for that to happen, but I think Hermione needs it. Please, review if you enjoyed the chapter !**


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